CHEMICAL WEED CONTROL IN STRAWBERRIES 



Dominic A. Ma rim" 

 Regional Agricultural Specialist - Southeast Region 



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At the present time, we are recommending two materials for 

 Controlling weeds in strawberries, dacthal and diphenamid. Both 

 herbicides must be applied to a weed-free soil since they do not 

 control established weeds. Also, moisture is necessary for best 

 results; 1/2 to 1 inch rain or irrigation is needed within a week 

 after application. Slight injury in the form of distortion or yel- 

 lowing of older leaves has been observed with both materials. This 

 is temporary, however, and does not appear to affect runner forma- 

 tion or yields. 



Dacthal is recommended at the rate of 8 to 12 pounds of the 

 75 percent commercial product per acre. It remains effective for 

 about six weeks, so several applications are required for season- 

 long control. A late summer or early fall application provides 

 good control of chickweed, a serious problem in most strawberry beds 

 Dacthal may be applied early in the spring, orior to weed germina- 

 tion, to control weeds in bearing beds. 



Dacthal is particularly effective against crabgrass and other 

 annual grasses, and against purslane, chickweed and 1 ambsquarter . 

 It is weak against ragweed and red root pigweed, and poor against 

 galinsoga, smartweed, mustard and other cruciferous weeds. Where 

 galinsoga is a serious problem, use of dacthal is not recommended. 



Diphenamid is recommended at the rate of 5 to 7 1/2 pounds of 

 the 80 percent formulation per acre or 8 to 12 pounds of the 50 per- 

 cent formulation. It controls a wider range of weeds than dacthal 

 and provides longer-lasting control. Shallow incorporation of 1 

 to 2 inches soil depth improves its effectiveness. 



Until recently, diphenamid was labelled for use on strawberries 

 up to 12 months of harvest. With recent changes in registration, 

 it is now permissable to use diphenamid on strawberries up to 60 



